CHAPTERTWO
1235 Words
Edwina glanced at the television, her pulse beating. The message lay there, waiting for her to answer.
Joe Thompson: "Shall we meet?"
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard. After a deep breath, she typed:
Edwina James: "Okay. Where?"
Almost immediately, the reply popped up:
Joe Thompson: "How about Grange, downtown? Tomorrow night."
Grange. Among the city's most opulent dining establishments. Edwina had never really imagined herself walking into a place like that.
But there was no time for dreaming now. This was occurring, and fast.
She sighed and closed her eyes, mentally prepared herself for what lied ahead. She had no choice. She had to carry it out for her mother's sake.
---
Edwina was sitting in her mother's room later that evening, stroking a strand of hair nervously between her fingers.
She said tremblingly, "Mom," not knowing how to bring it up. "I have a date tomorrow."
A glimmer of life that her mother had not seen in days sprung into her eyes.
"Oh, my sweetie!
That’s wonderful! Tell me everything."
Edwina forced a smile. "It’s with... someone I matched with on the app."
Her mother’s smile faltered. "You matched already?"
"Yeah," Edwina answered, her stomach twisting.
"It’s with Joe Thompson. Do you remember him? We went to high school together."
Her mother nodded slowly, her brow furrowing in thought. "The name rings a bell. Isn’t he that billionaire now?"
"Yes," Edwina confirmed, biting her lip. "But he was also... not the nicest guy back then."
Her mother’s eyes softened. "People can change, darling. Just give him a chance."
Edwina nodded, trying to believe it. But the memories of Joe Thompson—the senior who made her high school days miserable—still haunted her.
"Well, what are you going to wear?" her mother asked, her excitement returning. "You need to look perfect!"
Edwina grimaced. "I don’t know. It’s at Grange. I don’t have anything fancy enough for a place like that."
Her mother patted her hand gently. "You’ll figure it out, sweetheart. You always do."
---
The next evening, Edwina spent hours agonizing over her clothes before settling on a stunning yet understated black ensemble. She put on the perfect amount of makeup to bring out her best features without going overboard, and she took longer than usual to fix her hair, letting it fall in gorgeous waves down her shoulders.
She stepped in front of the mirror and took a deep breath. I know you can do this, she told herself.
She grabbed her pocketbook and coat and walked out the door.
---
Grange was even more scary in person. Crystal chandeliers threw a warm glow over the opulent dining area, where men in cut suits and ladies in beautiful gowns chuckled gently over glasses of wine.
Edwina gulped hard as she was brought to a private booth. Joe was already there, looking as effortlessly attractive as ever in a slick, dark suit. Her approach caused his eyes to jump up, and for a split second, he pretended not to recognize her.
He stood and said, "Edwina," watching as she took a seat.
"You look... different."
"Different?" She raised an eyebrow, trying not to allow his comment get to her.
"In a good way," Joe clarified quickly, smirking as he slid back into his seat. "Nerd to dazzling. Impressive."
She rolled her eyes. "Thanks, I guess."
The server arrived with a menu, and they ordered. The stillness that followed was dense with tension, the past hovering between them like an uninvited guest.
Joe cleared his throat. "So, let’s get down to business."
Edwina lifted an eyebrow, leaning back. "Business?"
He went inside his briefcase and pulled out a slick folder, sliding it across the table toward her.
"It’s a marriage contract. My lawyers drafted it up."
She blinked, staring at the folder. "A contract? Are you serious?"
"Completely," Joe replied, his voice cool and businesslike. "Look, we’re both in this for specific reasons. You need to marry for your mother, and I need to marry to inherit my grandfather’s empire. So, we’re setting ground rules to keep it clean and simple."
Edwina hesitated but finally opened the folder, scanning the document. Her eyes widened as she read the stipulations.
Ø The marriage will last no longer than six months.
Ø Both parties agree to maintain appearances in public but are free to live separately if they wish.
Ø No romantic or s****l relations are expected or required.
Ø Social functions must be attended together as a couple.
Ø Public displays of affection will be minimal, for appearances only.
Ø Any media interviews will be handled by a joint PR team.
Ø The marriage will be dissolved without alimony or financial compensation for either party.
Ø Any gifts or assets exchanged during the marriage will remain with the original owner upon divorce.
Ø Both parties must maintain discretion and confidentiality regarding the terms of the marriage.
Ø The marriage must be formalized within one week of signing the contract.
Edwina read the rules, her thoughts spinning. This was more than just a marriage; this was business.
She gazed up at Joe, who observed her with a detached calm.
"This is... cold," she murmured.
"It’s practical," Joe replied. "Neither of us wants this to be more than it has to be. But we both need something out of it, right?"
Edwina chewed her lip. "What if I don’t agree to some of this?"
Joe shrugged. "Then we negotiate."
She sighed, flipping back to the first few pages. "Six months? That’s a long time."
Joe leaned forward, his tone softening slightly. "Look, I know it seems like a lot. But my grandfather’s estate is complicated, and there are stipulations. Six months is the minimum time I need for everything to go through."
Edwina nodded slowly. "Okay. I can do six months. But the separate living part... that seems a bit extreme."
Joe frowned. "You want us to live together?"
"I’m not saying we need to be in the same room," Edwina replied quickly, her cheeks flushing. "But we should at least share a space. It’ll look suspicious if we don’t."
"Fine," Joe agreed. "We’ll live together, but separate bedrooms."
"Agreed," Edwina said, relieved. She flipped the page. "And the public displays of affection? Minimal is fine, but we need to look convincing."
Joe smirked. "Are you suggesting we hold hands or something?"
She shot him a look. "Yes. Something like that."
"Alright," Joe said with a chuckle. "We’ll make it convincing enough."
After another hour of debating the finer aspects, they struck an agreement. Edwina leaned back in her chair, exhausted but oddly content. Although not flawless, the agreement was feasible.
She could do this.
Joe pushed the final version of the contract across the table, his expression inscrutable. "So, do we have a deal?"
With her heart pounding, Edwina took a quick look at the document in front of her.. Six months. That’s all it was—six months. Then it would be over. But even as she grabbed for the pen, doubt gnawed at the back of her mind. Was this really the right choice?
She gazed up at Joe, his face serene and composed, as if this was simply another business transaction for him. Maybe it was. But it meant so much more to her.
She took a deep breath and lifted the pen, trembling as she held it over the line.
- Writer
